“Gentlemen, start your engines!”—these iconic words echoed through the Daytona International Speedway when Mr. President took center stage at the Daytona 500 five years ago. Now, history repeats itself as a sitting president once again makes his way to the ‘Great American Race’. 

But what do the Daytona 500’s biggest stars think about this high-profile appearance? Are they excited about the presidential cameo, and what impact do they believe it will have on race day? Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch weigh in on what this moment means for NASCAR!

Will Trump have a heroic entry just like in 2020

Just days after making an appearance at the Super Bowl LIX, Donald Trump is likely to take center stage once again at Daytona. The last time that President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the tracks, the drive got delayed, all thanks to torrential rain! The roar of the crowd was deafening as Air Force One descended on Daytona Beach. Stepping onto the track alongside First Lady Melania, Trump met thunderous applause as he delivered the start command. The excitement in the air was electric, but the show was far from over. Moments later, he climbed into The Beast for a special gesture. 

He took part in an unprecedented lap around the famed 2.5-mile speedway. Behind it, 40 high-performance stock cars revved impatiently. The engines snarled as they followed the limo in a dramatic pre-race parade. Speaking of the same, Chase Elliott during his interview said, “Yeah I think just having a sitting president come and be part of one of our biggest days of year certainly our biggest what I would call our biggest event of the year, I think is special and certainly brings a lot of eyes and a different perspective to what we do down here for the race. Always thought it was really cool.” 

He further added, “I remember the sitting president used to call the winner. I don’t know if you’ll remember that or not but there were some stories that happening. I don’t know if that happens now. It’s just a cool thing.” In 2020, Elliott was a part of the pre-race parade and he ended the race in P17. However, recently he delivered a dominant performance at Bowman Gray. He claimed victory in both the Heat and Main race. While a Daytona 500 win has eluded him so far, his impressive speed and momentum could finally propel him to his first triumph on NASCAR’s biggest stage. 

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Not only Elliott, but even Kyle Busch had his take on President Trump’s guest appearance at the Daytona 500 tracks. He said, “I mean any time you get big name people who come to 500, so I remember watching it was, Reagan wasn’t he one of the first ones that came?…. Celebrities doing a pre-race, National anthem, The Rock was here last year, so myself and Brexton got a picture. That was cool. Anytime we are able to bring in big-name people to our sport, I think it shines a brighter light on it just how great of an event this is.” This marks the third time in NASCAR’s history that a U.S. president has graced the event. Apart from Trump, George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan made memorable appearances at the track. 

Kyle Busch’s 2020 Daytona race was a disaster from the start. On Lap 2, he locked up his tires in the front chicane. He ended up flat-spotting his left front and this forced an early pit stop on Lap 4. Despite climbing to 19th by Stage 2, trouble struck again on Lap 48. His car met a mechanical issue which forced an extended pit stop. Losing six laps, Busch rejoined the race only for both rear tires to go down on Lap 60, sending his car spinning and ending his day. He had ended the race with a DNF and P34. Till now, the Daytona 500 is the only feather missing from his 2o years bucket of achievements.

Will Donald Trump attend the race?

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While the drivers are excited, it’s to consider if President Trump is actually visiting the race. As of now, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued temporary flight restrictions over Palm Beach, Florida, and Mar-a-Lago. This vehemently suggests that President Trump will be in the area.

The restrictions begin on Friday, Feb. 14, and extend through Wednesday, Feb. 19, with a notable gap on Sunday, Feb. 16. This is the day of the Daytona 500. If he does turn up at the race, it might just be another incredible moment for sports, especially after his Super Bowl appearance last weekend.

What adds to the excitement is considering his last appearance at a racing event wasn’t too long ago. Less than a year ago, President Trump arrived at the Miami GP, going into the McLaren Garage and meeting the drivers. However, even at the event, the newly elected President had Secret Service members surrounding him. Security will likely be higher this time around, especially after his election victory and after he was shot in the run-up to the election.